Ken Niles Racing Tall Ships

Captain Ken Niles is from New York , he came across sailing at the South Street Seaport Museum in 2016. He was immediately intrigued because he's never seen anything like it here in the city, so he started volunteering sailing with them. When he started he really enjoyed it, so he stayed committed. His dedication and subsequent years on the water has earned him a USCG Captains License. Sailing on traditionally rigged vessels; like the schooner Amistad, Pride of Baltimore II and Lynx. These vessels often participated in conpettive races, dockside and education events. After being introduced to sailing, he realized he loves to race. “Racing is one of the best parts”. He says that he sees himself sailing for a long time in the future. He likes that when sailing he's not always in the same place, and gets the opportunity to travel to different ports, cities.  He says being in this industry takes lots of problem solving, teamwork, and dedication. One of the biggest obstacles he faced was finances. He stated “A lot of this industry is kind of networking.. Going into it blind is hard”. He said that his parents were supportive of him when he was sailing. Although he faced obstacles, he had many accomplishments. 

His biggest accomplishment in the industry was becoming a captain. He inspires us because he worked his way up in the industry to become a captain. This accomplishment should be recognized because of the amount of work it takes to climb the ladder and pass the USCG Captains test. Ken also explained how being at a higher position of authority on a vessel he can now help people who used to be like him, work themselves to the top. Being able to help his fellow team members makes him feel accomplished. Now, Ken Niles continues to sail and is also one of my role models. Because of his hard work, he now has the title of captain for life. 

Looking back at his accomplishments we admire him because of his ambition to pursue his goals. Since we have both had experiences out on the water, we understand the work it takes to learn about the maritime industry. We think that sailing and racing is fun and personally, we would try it out.

-Sierra B & Joe G, Sophmore 2024